1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to antistatic agents, coatings, and adhesives which can be used in the production of various industrial materials such as melt or sublimation type thermal transfer ink ribbons and laminated packaging materials. The antistatic properties of these materials are significantly maintained without reducing their antistatic induction properties under low ambient temperature, especially when used as adhesive primers for plastic film or as adhesives.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The mainstream antistatic materials in current use are surfactants, and their antistatic property depends largely on the ion electroconductivity that is generated by moisture intervention. Since ion electroconductivity decreases under low ambient humidity, the quantity of antistatic agents used as antistatic measures must be adjusted to reflect changes in humidity, such as different humidity levels (% relative humidity, RH) in winter (low humidity) and summer (high humidity).
Currently used antistatic agents present different problems. The problem of using surfactants as antistatic agents lies in their bleed effects, as large usage of surfactants interferes with the adhesive strength of a given laminated film. While it is more desirable to use polymer type antistatic agents, their antistatic property also depends on ion electroconductivity, and they are thus susceptible to low ambient humidity as well. The present invention aims at solving these problems.